What is the best setup for video restoration with the equipement I have?

[hardimen]

Hi everybody,

I have found a new hobby (actually, it's more like an addiction now ). I've been caught up in this vhs video restoration and transfer to dvd whatchamacallit and I can't stop doing it! I've been buying stuff on ebay like crazy... based on what I read on the internet as far as good equipment for video restoration. Anyway, this is what I have currently:

Panasonic AG-1980 Panasonic AG-1980 VCR Video Pro Editor (replaced my JVC HR-S3600U)
Vidicraft Detailer DET-400 Audio Video DeTailer IV
JVC Video Corrector Model JX-C7
Datavideo TBC1000 TBC-1000

I also have ATI Radeon All in Wonder Pro 9800 AGP Video Card
on my PC (P4 3Ghz w/ HTT, 1GB memory and tons of hard drive space on Win XP Pro SP2).

I have some old VHS tapes from 5-10 years ago that I'm converting to dvd. Is it better to re-dub these tapes to S-VHS first before capturing it on my PC? With this setup?

VHS -> Vidicraft -> JX-C7 -> TBC-1000 -> AG-1980

And then capture in MPEG-2 format with this setup:

AG-1980 -> Vidicraft -> JX-C7 -> TBC-1000 -> PC

Does combining both the Vidicraft Detailer and JVC JX-C7 make a difference in restoring the quality of the video or is it better to use one of the other? I am also consider buying the Elite Video BVP-4 Video processor... the resolution boost feature sounds interesting? Any comments? Am I buying too much stuff I don't need?

Any input or comments would be appreciated. I'm just a noobie drowning in a pool of video equipment I don't know how to use BTW, if anyone has a copy of the JVC JX-C7 manual, I would be interested in getting one.

Thank you.

[Relayerman]

If it were me doing this (and I'm like you in that I'm now in the process of converting a gazillion VHS tapes to Xvid or DVD), I would bypass the upgrade to S-VHS and go straight to MPEG-2 via your AIW. With all your TBC and stuff you should get great captures (provided your source is at least playable and not too deteriorated). Once in MPEG-2 you can make DVDs or convert to Xvid/Divx or whatever your pleasure.

Relayerman

[hardimen]

That's pretty much what I am doing now... playback my regular VHS tapes on my S-VHS VCR -> Vidicraft -> JX-C7 -> TBC-1000 -> ATI capture -> MPEG2. I use Ulead DVD workshop as my DVD authoring tool. I get an ok result but I notice some loss in quality when converted to dvd. I want to at least be able to made a dvd copy that has the SAME quality as the VHS.

Another question I have is I wanted to know if there is any difference in connecting all this video correction tools together? My thought was I am improving the quality of the source at each connection. For example:

VHS tape -> S-VHS vcr = Output 1 (slightly improved video output)

Output 1 -> Vidicraft Detailer = Output 2 (better output than Output 1?)

Output 2 -> JVC Video Corrector = Output 3 (better output than Output 2?)

... and so on and so forth.

Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case in my situation because the final dvd video quality is not as good as the VHS video.

[Relayerman]

A couple of things to think about. First, try just using the TBC and forget the detailer and that other thing you're using. Also, make sure your MPEG-2 capture settings in the ATI MMC are correct. Go here to get the best settings for your source and look under the Capturing with AIW to MEPG.

http://www.digitalfaq.com/

I use 720x480 (NTSC) most of the time with bit rate at 8000 and no VideoSoap. IF my VHS source is a little old or I want to fit a lot on one DVD then I go for the 352x480 resolution with 4000 bitrate. Any more is pretty much overkill. I use TMPG DVD Author Pro 2 which will re-encode to fit a disc if my MEPGs are too big. It does a great job with hardly any perceptible loss of quality during the authoring process.

Most VHS tapes are not recorded in S-VHS so re-recording to S-VHS is a waste of time. You get nothing but an extra generation.

Relayerman

[hardimen]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've never tried what you are suggesting.. just using the TBC and no software filters, etc... the simpliest setup is sometimes the best. I will try it.

[darkvador]

hi hardiman,

i post from france so sorry for the mistakes.

like you i'm pretty interested in retoring vhs on dvd but i've not bought yet any stuff; i'm still reading informations and here's what i might know if it can help;

1-as relayer says, drop the idea of sending your vhs into a s-vhs first, the vhs signal is composite (with luma and chroma mixed) and the s-vhs (with the two of them separated) will work anyway with a mixed source. so it's no use. maube, it's better to use a comb filter if you have one to avoid the red for instance to cross over the silouhettes and over colors. i heard it worked.
2- prob'ly you shouldn't give so much treatment to your acquisition; your soft may have too many datas to deal with; i heard it's sometimes better to acquire the picture dry and rework it after with a soft ad-hoc (virtual dub or else, RIAM video enhancer,etc); some of them, as far as i know, only memorise the settings to watch the picture (so it ain't "coded" on the disc and you have to read the film with your PC but maybe that's wot you want?). virtual dun, really modifies the structure of the movie i think and so it goes right to your disc; It might work.
3-For the same reason, have you tried to get a dvd from your vhs and improve the broadcasting with your video detailer chaines after your dvd player? and i'd like to know 'cos that's wot i'm aiming for but with a VCR. This leads to my last "advice"
4-i'm not efficient enough about this but remember taht a VCR source, whatever it is is an interlaced source; The digital sources and back ups are, them, generally deinterlaced or called progressive. so, first, your correcting stuff is prob'ly made to receive interlaced sources and you send it to a soft dedicated to progressive/deinterlaced pictures. That's maybe why you get a worse quality that with original VHS. personnaly, when i copy a dvd with a soft, i set the back up to interlaced (there's often a button stting the question). so it plays good on a standard tv, and with a projector or PC, you don't care 'cos both turn the picture to progressive without problem; i'm not sur if this is the reason of your trouble but it's to take more informations about.

well, i hope i didn't soud too pretentious to you, i'm just trying to tell the few i know if it can help, or give tracks to follow;

i hope you'll get my post and you'll reply 'cos i'm keen on that subject and still proceeding my researches before byuing any stuff for.

Read you soon i hope and sorry again if my english may be no-go from time to time... base corrector: warf, what a good joke.

bye.

[vhelp]

Evening guys.

hardimen,

Could you post some pics (images) of your equipments captures ??

There was a thread going on about the Panasonic AG-1980 being a good
unit for vhs transfers, but I have not seen any demonstartions so
far. If you could post a a few pics of AG-1980 captures (avi) -- use
vdub to take a snapshot of any video frame you want and save as a
bitmap (BMP) file. And, if possible, throw in a short 10 sec or less,
of something you captured to this AVI (the format that you currently
using, for the time being anyways) -- there's a link somewhere's here,
that explains how to post screen pics (images) and source avi's.. I
forget the link at the moment, sorry.. it is a blue sticky, though.

edit: here it is:

--> Sticky: How do I upload screenshots ? -- by jimmalenko;


Now, fwiw.. your mileage may vary depending on what mode you used in
your vcr recordings.. ie, SP vs EP, and also (at the time) which vcr
make/brand/model you used in *all* those recordings.

Another thing.. be aware that ATI is a worshiper of MV (Macrovision)
so please keep that in mind when you are transfering (via capturing)
your vhs tapes when you begin to see some weardness, such as Wavy;
Curling; Color-flickering; etc. during your ATI capturing. Doesn't
matter if you feel that your tapes are not Commercial (hence, MV)
because the ATI drivers are defaulted to MV detection, and *if* any
of your vhs has signs of issues, they could serve the MV detection
and activate non-the-less. (see below)

Here is an example (I posted) of at least one of the common issues found
in vhs restoration (capturing/transfering) process that you may encounter:

(there is another thread elsewhere's, and with various pics, but I can't
recall it, yet -- maybe later)

--> Why some captures of same tape fine, another distorted -- by theresa;

-vhelp 4168